The Mission Statement

The goal of The Gaming Garden is to present essays, advice, and general tips on the art of Game Mastering/Storytelling/The Big Person With All The Power from a narrative and thematic basis, and on the general idea, theory, polity, culture, and zeitgeist of roleplaying games as a whole.

A few points of general order:

1) Everything applies primarily to pen-and-paper roleplaying games, not their computer or console counterparts. Additionally, the main focus is on the GM/ST/DM in those games, not the players they play with.

2) The main systems the Gaming Garden focuses on are: Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, The World of Darkness (including Vampire: The Requiem and Mage: The Awakening), Nobilis, and Paranoia [XP].

3) Generically, the term "Game Master" is used to replace the game-specific terms such as Dungeon Master, Storyteller, or Hollyhock God.

4) Reiteration because it's crucial: The focus and philosophy the Gaming Garden espouses is based around thematics and storytelling, no matter the game --- this is the glue any good game works off of, no matter if it's film noir detectives or orc-slaying adventurers. Don't look for tips on how to optimize a character's combat power --- look for tips on how to maximize their narrative usage and potential.

5) Testament of frequency: I will attempt to post at least one entry, essay, link discussion, or other item of notice at least once a week, most likely on Tuesdays. No guarantees as to frequency yet, as my schedule is undergoing some flux, but that once a week goal is attainable, I feel. (And if nothing else, gives me something to do on Sunday afternoons.)

--- Arivia